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President Donald Trump has welcomed American schoolteacher Marc Fogel back to the United States following his release from a Russian prison, calling the prisoner exchange with Moscow “very fair and reasonable.”
Fogel, a 63-year-old former diplomat and educator, landed at Joint Base Andrews late Tuesday evening before heading to the White House, where he stood beside Trump in a surprise press conference. Trump described the release as a “show of good faith” from Russia and suggested it could be a step toward ending the war in Ukraine.
“We were treated very nicely by Russia,” Trump told reporters. “Actually, I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”
While details of the exchange remain unclear, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz confirmed that negotiations led to Fogel’s release. Trump also hinted that another American detainee would be freed on Wednesday but did not provide a name.
Fogel, who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2021 for possessing medical marijuana prescribed in the US, expressed gratitude for his freedom. “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” he said. “I’m a middle-class school teacher who’s now in a dream world.”
His sister, Anne Fogel, revealed that the family had been informed of his possible release but that the process remained “very tenuous” until it was finalized. In a statement, his wife Jane and sons Ethan and Sam called his return the end of the “darkest and most painful period” of their lives.
The White House quickly celebrated the moment on social media, posting “PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!” along with a photo of Fogel.
Fogel’s legal team praised Trump’s direct involvement, contrasting it with what they described as the “bureaucratic inaction” of the Biden administration.
“President Trump secured Marc’s release in just a few weeks, wasting no time in taking decisive action,” read a statement from his lawyers.
Fogel was not officially designated as “wrongfully detained” by the US government until December 2024, despite serving nearly three years of a 14-year sentence. His family had previously urged President Joe Biden to negotiate his release, but he was excluded from past prisoner swaps, including those that freed basketball star Brittney Griner and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Fogel was flown home by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, marking the first high-level US visit to Russia in years. Waltz suggested the move signaled potential progress toward de-escalating the war in Ukraine, though he provided no details.
Trump, who has claimed he could end the war in 24 hours, announced that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would visit Ukraine later this week.
Fogel’s sister acknowledged the broader political implications of the exchange.
“These are the giant machinations of world politics at play,” she said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how this all fits in when history looks back.”
As the US awaits news of the next American release, questions remain about whether and what concessions were made to Russia in return for Fogel’s freedom.
The post Trump Welcomes Home American Teacher Marc Fogel After Russian Prison Release appeared first on Arise News.
